Legend of Dragoon: The Pheonix Campaign
by Vaix
Summary: What if Rose never died,living to fight in the next campaign with her old friends' descendents?
1. Kidnapped

Legend of Dragoon: The Pheonix Campaign  
  
Chapter 1: Kidnapped  
  
  
  
  
Maru walked through the streets of Bale with a bounce and twist in her step, heading towards the Castle in which her friend Arthur ruled Serdio in. Maru had silver hair that reached her ankles when it was tied back in her usual pony tail, wine coloured eyes that made her look almost identical to her mother had it not been that she was taller by a head and shoulders than her. The words of her 'mother' came back into her mind.  
  
[Here. Your mother Meru wanted you to have this. Be careful and come back soon. We'll all be waiting.]  
  
She began to walk up the stairs when a glint of shiny armour caught her eye. Sh elooked up in time to see a Royal Guard running down the stairs towards her.  
  
"Miss Maru!"  
  
"Where's Arthur? Is he running late again?" A smile played on her lips. Arthur was always late and falling down...Then again, they were both clumsy as if their company with each other seemed to rub off making them even worse than if they hadn't been good friends.  
  
"He's been taken..." The guard said puffing, sweat glistening on his face.  
  
"What?! When...Who-" Fear and panic filled her voice.  
  
"Two days ago...By the Pheonix Knights-"  
  
He was silenced by a tremendous slap by Maru. "And ou never contacted me?!"  
  
"We...We couldn't get a messenger through to the village Miss Maru. It was blocked."  
  
"Well where've they taken him?"  
  
"New Hellena..."  
  
Maru felt her stomach tighten, a gasp involuntarily coming from her lips. [Oh no...]  
  
  
  
  
A lone warrior stood over looking New Hellena, the unescapable Prison. She laughed. That's what Hellena had meant to have been and yet the warriors Dart, Shana, Lavitz and Albert all made it from the depths of what people called Hell. Her feathery blonde hair tied back in a smiliar fashion to Shana's. Her clothing consisted off a black bodice, grey top, grey shorts and black boots. Around her arms the sleeves that once kept her arms warm were strapped on with belts, their tattered ends flying over her arms with the strong winds. Her intense brown eyes watched the Pheonixes as they flew around seemingly guarding the prison.  
  
"Ha. Who are they after this time?"  
  
A carriage rolled towards the entrance which banged open revealing the dark depths behind the bars. "Hurry up!"  
  
"Yeah yeah. Hold on." The old man leading the carriage of the newest capture called approaching the gates.  
  
[Those Knights owe me big this time...Normal people no problem...But Serdio's King? That's outrageous...]  
  
The warrior folded her arms as she saw who was being held by the carriage. "Ha! King Arthur. They know she'll come for him..." No sooner had she spoken the words than a terrible yet probable thought sprung to her intelligent mind. "They must have something planned for her..."  
  
Her guard had been let down and a Pheonix had spotted her, swooped down to her screeching it's find to the others.  
  
  
  
  
A bottle filled with a blue liquid fell from its position on in Maru's hand. "Uh oh!" As the bottle got further to the ground, she began to panic further diving for it but only crashing face first into the floor.  
  
A black gloved hand caught it gently. She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, her forehead bruised and painful. [Who...?]  
  
A man dressed in a black sleeveless vest, pants and fighting gloves held it pointing at it. "Yours?" He had silver hair which told her he was a wingly just like herself.  
  
"Y-Yeah..." Her face pink in embarassment as she stood up smoothing her clothes back down.  
  
He held it out for her, "Here then." She took it thankfully, but his hand didn't remove itself. "You're cute y'know."  
  
She blushed furiously. "Flattery will get you nowhere Wingly..."  
  
A smirk passed across his face, he leant to her ear as if to tell her a secret. "I know what colour panties you have on..."  
  
The pink deepened to red and she brought her open hand around to his face giving him an almighty slap. "How dare you!"  
  
The smirk never left his face. "Oh, you know you want me..."  
  
"I ought to kick your backside right now!" She unlaced her basher from her back preparing to hit him with it when the store manager hurried over to them.  
  
"Miss Maru...What does seem to be the matter?"  
  
Her anger flared as she pointed at the wingly before her. "That wingly is ... A pervert! He's a panty peeker!"  
  
The manager turned to the wingly and ushered him out. He returned to Maru who's face was still bright red. "I am deeply sorry Miss Maru. You may take what you need from my story free of charge for this inconvenience." He bowed deeply to her.  
  
"Thankyou..." She put the bottle in her hand into her backpack, along with a few other bottles filled with green liquids before taking another blue liquid bottle. "Thankyou." She bowed before leaving the store. "Ready or not Endiness...Here comes Maru - yeow!" She tripped on the step and fell onto the ground before her.  
  
A woman rushed over to her, "Are you alright Miss Maru?"  
  
Maru pushed herself up and nodded. "Yeah...I just forgot there was a step there..."  
  
  
  
  
In new Hellena Arthur found himself chained to a wall, in front of him stood a cloaked figure.  
  
"A King who is friends with a wingly...Don't you know the histories? Don't you see what is in front of your seemingly blind eyes? They are slowly joining the humans again, they will gain our trust and before you realise what's happening, they will enslave all races again! That is what we are trying to prevent from happening. Do you want to see Endiness enslaved again?"  
  
Arthur coughed before answering weakly, "No...But it is not the winglies who are wrong. It's you knights. You claim to be doing Soa's bidding, but you are wrong."  
  
The figure slams a rod into Arthur's temple rendering him unconcious "You are a foolish King." Turning on its heel, the shrouded figure leaves, the guard locking the door quickly.  
  
"Has he realised the truth yet?"  
  
"No...He still refuses to believe the truth."  
  
"Perhaps when he wakens, he may."  
  
"Perhaps...But for the moment, his capture will bring one particular wingly..."  
  
"One wingly? What could be so special about ONE wingly?" The guard asked incredulously.  
  
"This wingly has something I need."  
  
  
  
  
After four hours of travelling she found herself facing a forest, On the other side was New Hellena. She stepped in holding her hammer tightly. She began to sneak through the forest as though it would do her some good. A 'snap' from behind bade her spin around, swinging the hammer before landing on the ground as the hammer's momentum stopped suddenly. A dark elf dropped to the ground. Maru scrambled back up in terror.  
  
"They're not meant to be here...They're not meant to here...Not in Serdio..."  
  
She ran through the rest of the forest noticing more dark elves emerging. The forest ended suddenly and she was faced with the path to New Hellena. "How am I meant to get in there? It's controlled by the Pheonix Knights and they hate Winglies...And we do give ourselves away with our platinum coloured hair..."  
  
Meru looked down to find dirt made her left leg dirty. She rubbed it off and an idea came to her mind. She grabbed a hand ful of dirt and began to rub it through her hair. Before long, her silver hair had been turned to a light ash blonde with brown streaks through it. A carriage rolled up to the end and Maru sprinted to catch up to it. She leapt on it and found that it was a band of musicians and dancers.  
  
"Who are you?" One of the female dancers asked.  
  
"I'm here to get a friend out...Please don't give me away..."  
  
"Don't worry. We're just a cover ourselves to get someone out..."  
  
Maru smiled.  
  
"HOLD IT!" The cart jerked to a stop and a guard approached the cart. He begins to check it. He spots Maru and looks at her as though the cat that got the mouse. "Hey...She's pretty..."  
  
"Can we go through or are you going to continue scaring my dancers?" The man sitting at the front of the carriage demanded.  
  
"Only if your pretty little dancer here meest me in my quarters after your performance."  
  
"Of course."  
  
The carriage rolls into the prison, stopping in a small room. The performers then scatter, obviously taking their chance to find the person they were looking for. Maru smiled then disappeared further into the prison knowing where she'd most likely find Arthur.  
  
  
  
  
Arthur woke, his head throbbing. The chains that once held him gone. Before him lay a simple white bowl with what appeared to be soup residing in it. He spicked it up and sniffed it, making a foul face before putting it back down.  
  
"Damn...Where are you Maru?"  
  
Maru appeared at the front of his cell as he spoke. "Arthur?"  
  
Arthur jumps up and stumbles to the door, holding onto the bars as though his life depended upon it. "Maru? Is that really you?"  
  
"How'd you end up in here?"  
  
"They wanted to bring me to their side..."  
  
Horrified she took a step away, "But you're not right?"  
  
"Of course not! I'd be betraying you if I did!"  
  
She smiled and unlaced her hammer again, readying it with the lock. Bringing the hammer down she broke the lock into two pieces, Arthur pushed the door open and they hugged.  
  
"How touching...Let me guess, you're the wingly Maru..." The guard approached them from the shadows.  
  
"Huh?" Maru turned to face the guard. "What are you talking about? I'm a performer for tonight."  
  
A second guard approaches them from behind. "What is the King doing out then?"  
  
"She is a dancer. I met her a few years ago. She doesn't like cages so she freed me. I've always been her good luck before a performance."  
  
The first guard laughed. "As if we should believe you."  
  
The two guards fall and Rose stands behind them. "Too bad you didn't."  
  
"ROSE?!" Arthur and Maru stood in shock.  
  
"The legendary Rose from the histories? The Dragon Campaign and Dart's Quest?" Maru asked, her eyes widening.  
  
"Yes. That is me."  
  
"You knew my mother Meru then..."  
  
"Yes, I knew Meru the Wingly. The Blue-Sea Dragoon." She studied Maru. "You look like her...Only taller, probably the fact that your father was Garuha." She frowned, "And you have, brown hair..."  
  
"It's dirt." Rose and Arthur look at her with raised eyebrows. "I had to get in somehow."  
  
Rose shook her head. "Shall we leave now?"  
  
Maru and Arthur nod. Arthur grabbed the javelin from the corner and they began walking towards the exit of the prison to be met with the shrouded figure who stood with two guards.  
  
"Wingly...I believe you have something I need."  
  
Maru crossed her arms. "Like what?"  
  
The two guards ran at her attempting to grab her and hold her down, but she flew to the roof with her wings of light. "I thought I might have to resort to this..." The figure produced a thorned whip.  
  
"Prepare yourselves for battle..." Rose stood with her sword ready.  
  
Maru and Arthur exchanged worried glances. They'd sparred, but never actually fought a proper battle before...Unwillingly, They too prepared for battle.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N  
  
What did you think? You like? You don't like? REviews and flames welcomed. 


	2. War

Look at this, my first review from someone mentally challenged. Too bad 'demongod86' has no brains, otherwise he would notice it is chapter one. If you knew anything about writing, you don't give away too much of the past straight up unless is is an AU. Sure this may be an AU, but I think the past is able to be figured out. Perhaps you should think before you attempt to make 'funny' comments. Airhead.  
Demongod86  
New Hellena? New evil guards? Didn't anyone know that winglies are good? KING ARTHUR?! WHat next, Dragoons of the round table?! And let me guess, Emille had an affair and King Arthur will have an incest problem too... and will get killed by his son. Okay, enough of that. Not too much else to say, no character development, no description, very vague, etc etc etc.   
  
  
Ahem...Now back to the story...  
  
  
  
  
Legend of Dragoon: The Pheonix Campaign  
  
Chapter 2: War  
  
  
  
Rose leapt to the attack, the Dragon Buster cutting the air as it made efficient contact with one of the guards. He collapsed and she stepped back triumphantly, he sword by her side, "Demon's Dance..."  
  
Taking that as his cue, Arthur leapt forward his javelin never letting him down. He swung it, letting it fly through the air, contact made where contact was most lethal making the other guard drop joining his friend. "Gust of Wind Dance!"  
  
"The Guards have fallen as will you." Rose growled before leaping for the figure before them.  
  
Even with her speed and extensive knowledge of battle, the figure managed to step out of her way and catch her leg with the whip helping her get to know the floor in a more personal way. Her arm filled with pain as she landed heavily on it. She frowned and began searching her pockets for the healing potion. Maru flew down and swung her hammer ferociously hitting the figure on the shoulder, making them stumble before Arthur drove his javelin towards the shrouded figure's heart. The whip came screeching for Arthur, catching his arm, tugging the javelin from his grip. It clattered to the floor, Arthur clammering after it. Maru continued her random assault from above, while the newly recovered Rose and Arthur continued their ground assault. There was an almight growl, Arthur, Rose and Maru were thrown back into the dirt.  
  
"You can't send me to hell...But I can send you there!" The figure tossed a spark net onto Maru.  
  
Arthur jumped up in rage. "Never touch Maru!" He ran forward at such a speed Rose was surprised. He slammed his javelin into the figure's temple, then let it hit home. THe figure stumbled before falling backwards, momentarily dazed if not unconscious. Arthur stared at what he did, Rose coming to congratulate him. "We won!" He spun his javelin in victory, Rose dodged the first only to receive the second blow. She fell dazed to the floor.  
  
"Hey Rose! Maru we won!" He turned to find Rose on the floor, Maru still trapped by the spark net. He rushed over to Maru and pulled her free of the net, lifting him onto his shoulder, grabbing the giant hammer and going over to Rose. He shook her. "Rose? Rose get up..."  
  
He looked around guiltily then hurried out, Maru limply hanging over his shoulder.  
  
  
  
  
Arthur sat by the bed the nurse had put Maru in. The nurse was still busying herself around Maru who had a few cuts and a fair bit of dirt, but otherwise alright. The nurse finally left, Arthur leant back in the chair and sighed.  
  
"Man...She might be the best nurse in Serdio but she's such a pain..." He leant forward again and looked at Maru. "What would I do without you?"  
  
"You'd probably never have been in Hellena..."  
  
He jumped off the chair, "Maru! You're awake!" He took a step to approach her bed and give her a hug but hugged the floor instead.  
  
"I think it's catching..."  
  
He got back up and grinned, giving his friend a hug. "Your majesty..." A guard entered. Maru saw the face Arthur pulled as the guard spoke further, "Sir, the commander of the 6th battlment sir..."  
  
"Very well then. I'll be there shortly..." The guard left and Arthur stood. "Don't move. I'll be right back."  
  
"Trust me, I won't be moving anywhere for a while..."  
  
"Good. There's a few things I think you should see...And I have to talk to you, it's rather important." He stood and left leaving Maru to muse about what Arthur could possibly want to show her.  
  
Arthur entered the throne room and sat on his chair. He indicated for the guard to allow the commander to enter.  
  
"Your majesty Arthur. THe 6th battlement is under attack. We need more forces." The commander bowed deeply.  
  
"Your battalion should be able to handle a few restless thieves."  
  
"We were attacked by Tiberoa sir."  
  
"Tiberoa? Why are they attacking us? My cousin...Why is she attacking us commander?"  
  
"I am not sure sir, but they have a pheonix on their side along with the Pheonix Knights."  
  
"Take however many soldiers you need! Do not let them attack the winglies! All those injured, bring them back to Bale." Arthur nodded, his usually cheerful face replaced with a frown. "Why do the Pheonix Knights still believe Winglies to be such a threat after a millenia? Dart's quest proved them otherwise...The histories were re-written and even Rose can say Winglies are no longer a threat. Melbu Framha was defeated once more and ... How could this happen?" Arthur slumped further into his chair.  
  
  
  
At the border of Tiberoa and Serdio, battle continued to rage. Screams and cries were able to be heard from the village. A lone wingly warrior watched from what he thought was the safety of a shrub. The pheonix knights used their newly discovered powers to transform into Pheonizes. The Pheoniz was like the Dragoon, humans learned to harness the powers of the Pheonix as the Dragoons from the Dragons. Each were equal on a battle field, however, the Pheonizes were ruthless and only thought to destroy. The Dragoons had been lost many years ago, except for one...  
  
"A wingly!" One of the Pheonix Knights spotted him hiding.  
  
"Uh oh..." He began running away when a Pheonix swooped, talons out prepared to rake off his head.  
  
He felt himself being covered, rolling down a hill. When he came to a stop, he saw a female warrior. Her pale face and dark eyes showed something dark and intelligent.  
  
"Who-"  
  
"Ssh! Do you want to be killed wingly?" He shut his mouth, watched the Pheonix fly overhead then go back to the army. The woman stood. "Now I do not claim to know what stupidity brought you here, but you must go to Serdio. King Arthur is expecting you."  
  
She began to walk away. "Wait. Who are you?"  
  
She paused. "Rose." She runs into the distance, he tried to follow her, only to find her gone once he reached the field. "Rose? Serdio..." He shrugs and begins for Bale.  
  
  
  
  
Arthur walked back into Maru's room to find her asleep. He smiled and turned to leave.  
  
"Arthur...Don't leave me again..."  
  
He turned only to find her muttering in her sleep. He approached her side and sat in the chair once more. She tossed and turned, sweat beading on her forehead.  
  
"They're gong to - Arthur no! Don't! Please! Arthur!"  
  
A worried frown touched his face once more as he leant towards her. "What are you dreaming about that has you so scared?" He took her hand gently. "I promise you I won't leave you. The Pheonix Knights will never get you as long as I am alive..."  
  
Maru seemed to have calmed down. Her face seemed so peaceful...He brushed away one of her bangs and cocked his head to study her. For a wingly, she was attractive, most of the wingly females he had met tended to be...Unattractive. She sat bolt upright suddenly.  
  
"ARTHUR!"  
  
"Maru what's wrong?"  
  
She turned to face him suddenly out of her dream. Her cheeks touched pipnk. "Just a bad dream..."  
  
"I suppose I had a part in your bad dream. I hope I wasn't the cause of it."  
  
"You were in it, so was Rose and this other woman...She had blonde hair and stood so serenely on a rock. And you left me behind as though you couldn't wait to get rid of me..."  
  
"Don't worry. I'll never leave you. That I swear." Maru smiled and swung her legs to the edge of the bed. "When are you going to go visit your family?"  
  
"I went already. I came back two days ago after they took you away to Hellena."  
  
"And you came to help me...Risking your own life. What did they want from you anyway?"  
  
She shrugged, "I have no idea. BUt if I hadn't gotten you out, your guards wouldn't have made it in and out either..."  
  
There's a knock at the door and the guard walks in once more. "Sir, there's a...Platinum haired man who says you're expecting hi- hey! Quite shoving that thing there!"  
  
Arthur and Maru look at the guard, their faces mirroring the others. "Oh get out of my way!" A man from behind the guard pushes him aside.  
  
"YOU!" Maru's eyes widened and she grabbed her hammer from the side of her bed. "I ought to kill you right now!"  
  
ARthur put his hand on Maru's arm and pulled her back. "You know this wingly?"  
  
"Yeah... He's the panty peeker I told you about!" She surged forward but Arthur held her back. "I'm going to kill him!"  
  
"You...Live here?"  
  
"More or less! Now get the hell out before Arthur lets go and I squash you like the bug you are!"  
  
"Now that's no way to treat a guest..."  
  
Maru's face held a scowl. "A guest? What kind of guest could you possibly be?"  
  
"I was told I was expected."  
  
"Expected?" Maru dropped her weapon and stopped struggling against Arthur's grip. She turned to face him. "Expected?"  
  
"Tiberoa's declared war against us. I sent the commander back to tell the winglies to come here for protection." Arthur explained.  
  
"What the hell were you doing on the border of Tiberoa and Serdio anyway? Too bad you weren't killed then we'd have one less pervert on Endiness." Maru laced her hammer back onto her back and pulled on her boots.  
  
"I was going to the port in Fletz."  
  
"What you're a perverted sailor now?" Maru refused to look at him, now pulling on her fighting gloves.  
  
"Well perhaps in Mille Seseau I'd find a wingly that isn't as illtempered as you."  
  
Arthur sighed and sat back on the chair watching the two throwing insults back and forth at each other like a tennis match.  
  
"You're permitted to go. Infact, the sooner you go to Mille Seseau the sooner I don't have to worry about you peeking at my panties!"  
  
"I'm a healthy young wingly, I know what I want."  
  
Arthur saw Maru's face turn deep red. He pushed the chair back and watched as she unlaced her hammer once more and brought it crashing down onto the wingly behind her. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!"  
  
"I know what I want." He replied rubbing his bruised forehead.  
  
She began getting into him with the hammer only to find that he kept rolling around the floor dodging her attacks. "I'LL KILL YOU! STAY STILL DAMN YOU!"  
  
"When there's something I want I always get it!" He jumped up and grabbed her hammer, the loss of momentum didn't affect Maru as she continued towards the defiant Wingly. He put his arm around her waist and pressed his lips against hers fiercely.  
  
Arthur stood, javelin in hand. Maru stomped hard on his foot, her boots causing the damage she had hoped for. She brought her hammer around once more sending him flying through the window. "AND STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Arthur put his arm around her shoulders. "You know, I for one am glad I'm on your good side."  
  
"Arthur, you couldn't get on my bad side even if you tried...Unlike him. What a perverted wingly." 


	3. Sorceress

First review for chapter 2:  
  
Aerena:  
  
My gosh, I was laughing my head off! I thought Arthur knocking Rose out with a havelin by accident was funny. Then Maru went nuts with a hammer. GO MARU! That was great. I LOVED IT! I've learned to ignore flamers, so just live with it. Some people are just weird. Don't let it stop you! Keep writing this! Once again, I'll whack you with Maru's hammer if you don't!  
  
Sorry for the spelling and grammar mistakes, it's just that I made this into a manga so I'm trying to convert it from that to this...Slightly difficult when you've written it in Japanese -_-  
  
Ahem, now, back to the story...  
  
Chapter 3: Sorceress  
  
Arthur stood alone on the balcony looking over Bale. [What would happen if my cousin were to attack us directly? For the time being they're only attacking the border not daring to step into my territory...But...] He sighed and rubbed his temples.  
  
"Arthur? Are you alright?" Maru peered through the doorway cautiously.  
  
Arthur turned to face her. "Just thinking..."  
  
"Need another mind?"  
  
"Wouldn't mind one."  
  
Maru walked over and stood beside him. "Bale's so beautiful at dusk, just as the sun begins to set and it casts its dying rays on the rooves..." Maru sighed and leant against the railing. Arthur stared at her with a half smile playing on his lips. "We can't let your cousin attack here. She might be your cousin...But if she's gone so far as to attack your forces with the Phoenix knights..." Maru shivered and rubbed her bare arms. She shook her head and stood determinedly. "I say we attack back."  
  
Arthur's eyes widened. "We can't attack her!"  
  
Maru faced him, her jaw set. "She is attacking us. Just because she is your cousin doesn't mean that you don't have the right to defend yourself against her. Could you imagine if she attacked us directly? How many civilian casualties would there be?" Arthur diverted his gaze and she put her hand on his arm. "There's only two options Arthur...One is to fight back. The other is to run away and let her destroy the city I love, that you love...I don't want to see it destroyed Arthur and I'm certain you don't either."  
  
Arthur leant on the railing, head in hands running them through his light brown hair. "Tiberoa is far stronger than Bale is in weaponry Maru...You know that."  
  
"I know that the Arthur I know wouldn't give up without a fight." She shook her head and began off.  
  
"Wait, Maru. Where are you going?"  
  
She turned to face him stopping. "If you won't do it, then I'll go find an army of my own and take them on." She began walking again and crashed into the door frame. "Ow! That really hurt!" She rubbed her forehead then shook her head to regain whatever composure she had left.  
  
"You won't be able to do it alone." Arthur hurried over to her side and they entered the room.  
  
Maru halted as soon as her foot hit the carpeted floor. Arthur turned to look at her. "Can't you feel it?"  
  
He noticed that she was shaking as though she were freezing cold. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. There was something...Someone in the castle. He took her hand and they cautiously walked to the stairs. Maru held her hammer tightly while Arthur's knuckles were white as they descended. Shadows played along the walls and no workers were there to greet them when they reached the second floor. Maru nodded and they entered the throne room. Sure enough, there was a woman dressed entirely in black kneeling before the throne. The shadows through the window lit her face only half making it look far spookier than it would've been had it been midday.  
  
"Who are you?" Arthur demanded.  
  
The woman didn't move or make a sound. Maru attempted to approach but couldn't move her legs. "Arthur...She's a sorceress..."  
  
She turned to face them, the shadows dancing across her face as she approached slowly but with a rhythm that seemed all to familiar. She cocked her head to the side and studied the two before her silently.  
  
"Who are you?!" Arthur demanded again.  
  
The woman reached them and studied them closely, circling them as would a vulture with its prey. A hand came up and snatched Maru by the jaw. Arthur noticed that it was covered with the same material her dress was, like it continued to cover her hands...Hands that were like claws. She was turning Maru's face back and forth as if studying her intensely.  
  
"I'd have thought you'd be more prepared for an attack than you are." She spun around holding Maru's jaw still and looked at Arthur. "This is your Ultimate weapon?" She laughed.  
  
His ears hurt at the sound of her laugh and she threw Maru backwards and advanced towards Arthur. "Now, as your beautiful wingly explained, I am a sorceress. I hear you're having a bit of trouble with your cousin. I am here to help you with your battle."  
  
Arthur stared at her, mouth moving but no words coming out. Maru sat against the wall, hand on her slightly bloodied forehead. "Attacking one of your own is not the way to begin a friendship with your ally."  
  
They looked to the door to find Rose standing with her arms folded, a very sore looking Wingly behind her. "Oh gods...You're back..." Maru wailed.  
  
He scowled at her. "Ya know, you didn't need to do that...I'm well aware of where the door was..."  
  
"Screw you pervert." Maru lifted herself from the position against the wall and managed her way back to the sorceress and Arthur.  
  
The sorceress began to move back slowly, only to find herself against Rose who held her arm tightly. "And where do you think you're heading sorceress?"  
  
"Let me go!" She ordered.  
  
Without warning Arthur walked forward. "Let her go Rose. If she's here to help us then it's one less enemy I'd rather face. And I'm sure we could always use a sorceress..."  
  
"Arthur..." Maru started quietly.  
  
Arthur turned to her with a scowl. "Be quiet." He snapped sharply.  
  
Rose raised an eyebrow as Maru stepped back in shock from his tone. She twisted the sorceress' arm causing her to cry out in pain. "Let him from under your enchantment..."  
  
"I am not under any enchantment." Arthur growled.  
  
"Arthur..." Maru started forward but Arthur turned, bringing his arm around backhanding her.  
  
Maru was flung to the ground causing a riot from both Rose and the other wingly. Arthur shook his head and looked around as if he'd just woken up. "Who...What's going on here?"  
  
Rose began to drag the sorceress out when she planted her feet firmly on the ground. "You will need my help. Your wingly may be strong, but she will never defeat the Phoeniz! She will fail and you will lose her!"  
  
Rose growled and pulled her with all her strength causing her to lose her footing and fall allowing Rose to drag her out of the throne room. Arthur snapped back and saw Maru steadily moving backwards away from him. "Maru..." He started forward when she moved back faster then stood and ran tripping a couple of times before finally finding her footing and running down the stairs and out of the castle.  
  
"I don't think that was such a great move there lover boy...Backhanding your girlfriend even if she has a temper just ain't the way to go..." He turned and left Arthur standing alone to wonder what was happening.  
  
"Backhand? Girlfriend? What's going on?" He plopped to the ground with his head in his hands.  
  
-  
  
Rose threw the sorceress into the small room she had escaped to centuries ago when she last came to visit Bale locking the door behind her. "So, who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
The sorceress smirked. "Don't you think you should be asking me more along the lines of Maru?"  
  
Rose frowned. "How do you know Maru when her name was never mentioned in conversation in the throne room?"  
  
She continued to smirk holding her knowledge within. "Maru and I go well back."  
  
"How can that be when it was quite obvious she didn't know who you were?"  
  
"Oh she does know me. She may not realise it now, but she knows me. And I know that she will fail her challenge."  
  
Rose slapped her. "Maru will not fail."  
  
The sorceress frowned at her. "How would you know? You haven't seen her future. You know nothing about the girl. You judge her from what you knew of her mother, Meru the wingly...The dragoon. The two are nothing alike as you are sure to discover in the near future."  
  
"It is true that she is nothing like her mother, but believe me, it is because of this difference that she will succeed."  
  
The sorceress wore a worried frown on her face. "Why is it that you are so keen on this wingly Maru to succeed. What is it that makes you burn with such anger and passion when this Maru is mentioned?"  
  
"You never answered my previous questions. Who are you and what are you doing in Bale?"  
  
The sorceress laughed. "What am I doing in Bale? Didn't you hear me? I am here to help with the fight against Tiberoa. Your wingly will fail thus you will need me. The strength of the army now is not enough-"  
  
"But I suppose with your help it will be..."  
  
"You're beginning to understand now I see..."  
  
"Your enchantments and spells won't work against me." Rose stated bluntly.  
  
The sorceress frowned in shock. "But-"  
  
"Who are you REALLY woman?"  
  
She appeared nervous and began to fidget in her position then attempted to run for the door only to be thrown down on the floor by Rose. "WHO ARE YOU?!"  
  
"Emille! My name is Emille! Don't kill me..." She squeaked.  
  
Rose rolled her eyes. "And you say that Maru will fail when she's far braver than you are..."  
  
"She may not fail with Lloyd on her side..."  
  
"Lloyd? Lloyd died a long time ago with Melbu Frahma."  
  
"Not that Lloyd. The wingly that was with you all is Lloyd."  
  
-  
  
Maru sat in the middle of the stairs with her face buried in her knees. She hiccupped then sat up and turned to face him. "Y-you again?"  
  
He sat beside her. "Don't attempt to kill me this time please..." He sounded desperate. "I just want to talk with you..."  
  
"Go away..." She closed her eyes and put her head on her knees again.  
  
"I'm not going away. Look, you can't exactly hate your boyfriend, he was under the sorceress' spell."  
  
"Arthur's not my boyfriend."  
  
"You two act like it enough." He rolled his eyes and she turned her head to face him.  
  
"Who are you anyway?"  
  
"Name's Lloyd."  
  
"Now get lost Lloy before I kill you this time." She growled.  
  
"Ya know, I never would've picked you for the crying type."  
  
"I'm not crying."  
  
Lloyd nodded. "Uh huh...Just like I'm not standing here beside you."  
  
She kicked him down the stairs. "You're not." She grinned and sighed deeply. "I guess I can't hate him...It wasn't really him..." She touched her left cheek. "But they say you can't make a person do something they don't really want to do..." She let her head drop back into her lap.  
  
There was a grunt and she lifted her head just in time for Lloyd to push her from her sitting position down the stairs. "Maybe that'll knock some sense into you! It hurts falling down those stairs ya know!"  
  
Maru reached the bottom and lay sprawled across them for a while. When she hadn't moved Lloyd began to shift uncomfortably. He started down the stairs slowly towards her. "You're not dead right?" He asked standing over her.  
  
Just as he went to lean down and check her pulse he received her boot in his face. "No." She replied swinging her other leg under his feet knocking him to the ground beside her. "But you will be if you pull another stunt like that one me pervert."  
  
"I'm not a pervert, and there's no reason to be like you."  
  
"Like me? I'm normal, I'm healthy, you however, you've got a temper problem, throwing too many tantrums..."  
  
"Temper tantrums?!" She swung her foot down onto him again causing him to groan and cough a bit.  
  
"You're just sadistic." He managed between coughs.  
  
She poked her tongue out at him and crawled her way up and began further into Bale when Lloyd joined her. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Coming with you, what else does it look like?"  
  
"What happened to you going to Mille Sesau?" She frowned as she sped up to get away from him.  
  
"I guess I can postpone that for a while...After all, I know now that you aren't as tough as you'd like us to think."  
  
WIthout warning she unlaced her hammer and went to swing it at him when her attention was captured elsewhere. She looked at the woman standing at the fountain staring at her. Maru found she couldn't look away even though she wanted to. Lloyd waved her hand before her face but she didn't move.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" He asked turning to look at the place she was staring at. "What's so exciting about the fount-" He stopped as he saw the woman she was staring at and found he also couldn't shift his gaze.  
  
The woman tilted her head to the left and turned to walk away breaking them from her gaze. Maru blinked a couple of times and shook her head. "Who was that?" Lloyd asked with a frown. Maru took a couple of steps then ran after where the woman had disappeared. "Hey! Where are you going?!" He started after her but was thrown back by some invisible force. "The hell is going on?!" He looked toward Maru. "MARU!"  
  
The woman was just before her, there was nothing else around, nothing existed but the strange woman before her. Just as she almost had her within reach, she heard Lloyd yelling out to her. She removed her gaze from the woman and saw Lloyd waving his arms madly then his eyes widen and him shy back. Maru turned back to the woman, herr vision turned completely white and she found herself standing in the middle of nowhere, but nowhere was really cold. She put her hands to her mouth and attempted to warm them up but it proved to be an effort in vain.  
  
"Damn...Where am I?"  
  
"You are in a snow storm."  
  
Maru spun with her hammer ready to come face to face with the blonde woman from her dream. "You...I know you!"  
  
"I should think so." The blonde woman nodded her head to the side. "Come on, best thing to do is get out of this storm before we freeze."  
  
Maru followed her into a little cave where a fire was burning. "Hey, how did-"  
  
"Don't worry. Just stay warm Maru."  
  
Maru sat before the fire with her hands raised getting the warmth from it and sighing. "This is nice...But yeah, where am I exactly anyway? This definately doesn't look like Bale to me."  
  
"This is Mille Sesau." 


End file.
